The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-07-20
An old.rime warning of Death.
From the Banner of Light

From the Banner OF Light.
The first volume of DR.. Samuel Johnson's
olives of the English Poets" records on
paee 226 a singular experience on the part
of " entworth Dillon, Earl of Roscom-
mon, A. D., 1634-16SI, son of James Dillon
and Elizabeth Wentworth, sister of the
Earle Stafford. He was born in Ireland
during the lieutenancy of Stafford, and
when qnite young was, on account of the
disturbed state of the times politically,
sent TO Caen for education. While there
he had, says the account, some preterna-
tural intelligence of his fathers death"-
the narration proceeding as follows:
The Lord Roscommoc. being boy OF
ten years of age, at Caen, in Normandy,
one day was, as it were, madly extrava-
CANT in playing, leapiug, getting over the
table boards, etc. He was wont to be
somber enough they said; God grant
this bodies no ill-luck to him.. In the heat
OF this extravagant fit, he cries out, My
father is dead A fortnight after news
came from Ireland that his father was
dead. This account I had from Mr..
Knolles, who was his governor, and then
with him-since secretary to the Earl OF
Stafford; and l have heard his lordship's
relations confirm the same."-Aubrsy's
Miscellany" ed. 1896, p. SO.
The present age is very little inclined to
favor any accounts of this kind, nor will
to credit; it ought not, however, to be
omitted, because better evidence of a fact
can not easily be found than is here Of
fered, and it must be by preserving such
relations that we may at last Judge how
much they are to be regarded. IL we stay
to examine this account, we shall see diff.
culties on both sides; here is the relation
OF a fact given by man who had no inter
est to deceive, and who could not be de-
ce1ved himself; and here is one, on the
other hand, miracle which produces no
effect; the order of nature is interrupted to
discover, not a nature, but only a distant
event, the knowledge of which is OF no
use to him to whom it is revealed. Be-
tween these difficulties what way shall be
found? Is reason or testimony to be re-
jected? ! believe what Osborne says of an
appearance of sanctity may be applied to
such impulses of anticipations as this Do
not wholly slight them, because they may
be true; but do not easily trust them, be.
cause they may be false"
We talked of belief in ghosts. He said:
Sir, make distinction between what
man may experience by the mere strength
OF his imagination and what Imagination
cannot possibly produce. Thus, suppose
should think that | saw form and
heard voice CRY, johnson, you are a
very wicked fellow, and unless you repent
you will certainly be pHnished;" my own
unWortnlness IS so deeply impressed upon
my mind that | might imagine thus saw
and heard, and therefore 1 should not be.
Iieve that an external Communication had
been made to me. But il a form should
appear and voice should tell me that a
particular man had died at a particular
place and a particular hour, fact which
had DO apprehension OF, nor any means
OF knowing, and this fact with all its cir
cumstances should afterward be uuques-
tionably proved, / should in that case be
persuaded that l had supernatural intelli.
geDce impaired 10 me- Bowel b.
Croker, p. 1873.